Chapter 44

Robin flopped on to the bed in their suite. "I forget how exhausting long flights can be" she sighed dramatically.

"Excuse me?" Patrick said placing his wallet on the bedside table as he flopped down beside her. "I'm the one who needs to get their shirt dry cleaned because you spent the last seven hours drooling all over it. Have you ever considered a chin cup?"

"Jerk" she teased, slapping his arm playfully. Robin rolled on to her side and lovingly pushed his hair from his face. Even though she had come to Rome to see Brenda, she was grateful for the quiet time with her husband.

His brown eyes dancing, Patrick grinned. "Hi" he said softly.

"Hi" she replied.

Patrick slowly slid his hand around her waist and pulled her to him. "When are you seeing Brenda?"

Running her hand down his arm, her mouth formed a slow smile. "Well given that I'm planning on ambushing her – I don't have to see her until tomorrow."

Moving closer to her so that his lips were hovering inches away from hers, Patrick returned her smile. "Really?"

"Really" she nodded.

"I see. Have I mentioned that it's been far too long since I've ravished you?"

"Oh?" she asked with her eyebrows raised. "It's only been three days."

"Four if you count the time difference, which really, is three days too long." He slowly brought his mouth down over hers, kissing her soft, succulent lips. Robin moaned quietly. Their lives had been busy, hectic even and time alone had been hard to come by. Rolling her on to her back, Patrick moved his lips to her cheek and then her ear where he suckled on the soft flesh. Closing her eyes as his lips sent shockwaves through her body Robin ran her hand through his hair. He left a trail of small, wet kisses down the length of her neck as he moved to her collar bone. "I love the way you taste" he said huskily.

Stretching out, Robin raised her hands over her head. "Make love to me husband" she said, her brown eyes, liquid with desire.

Letting out a small growl, Patrick kneeled up and undid his purple shirt, tossing it to the ground. Robin licked her lips unconsciously at the sight of her husband's bare torso. Slowly lowering himself back down towards her, he flicked open the buttons on her sweater, exposing her pink lace bra to him. Dipping his head between her breasts, he breathed her in, his lips tickling her skin. His fingers slowly traced the length of her torso, never lingering in one spot for too long. As he kissed each nipple through the lacy fabric, Robin began to slowly writhe underneath him. Pulling her sweater from her body, he tossed it on top of his shirt on the floor. Reaching behind her, he quickly undid the clasp to her bra, letting it fall down, revealing her pert breasts. She watched as he touched her lovingly, palming her breasts, gently kneading them. Her legs parted slightly as heat rushed to her centre.

He licked and sucked on one breast while massaging the other one. "I love your body" he whispered before taking her nipple in his mouth.

"Jesus" she hissed. Her hands ran through his hair needfully, desperate to touch him.

Patrick shifted slightly as his confined arousal began to pulse. Moving from her breasts, he kissed her torso to the top of her pants. Undoing the button fly, he grazed his knuckles against her panties causing her to buck under his touch. Standing up, he pulled them from her legs and threw them on the growing pile of clothes. Before he could resume his position on the bed, Robin sat up and with her tiny hands, undid his belt and pants, freeing his erection. Leaning forward, she ran her tongue along its length through the thin fabric of his boxer-briefs. She let her fingers dance over the wet spot. "I'm glad I'm not the only one" she said looking at him under her eyelashes.

Growling, Patrick ripped off his underwear and pushed her further up the bed. "Do you see what you do to me wife? My body knows you" he said, fisting his cock.

Closing her hand over his, they moved along his length in unison. "And I know your body" she said thickly. "Every delicious inch."

Lying facing each other, they joined their lips in a wet, hot kiss, their tongues tangling with each other. Letting Robin continue to work his pulsing arousal, Patrick traced his fingers along her inner thighs and smiled against her lips as she parted them for him. He leisurely traced the outline of her sex, teasingly dipping his fingers inside before pulling them out quickly. Robin groaned at the loss of contact and pushed her aching centre towards him. With his lips feasting on her neck, Patrick finally heeded her demand and slipped two fingers deep in her wetness, stroking and massaging her. She matched his rhythm, pulling on his dick in time with his hands. Closing his eyes, Patrick threw his head back at the feelings she created in him. He never tired of having her touch him, of feeling her respond to his ministrations. Her hips undulated against his hand as her centre became wetter.

Raking her hand across his chest, Robin lowered her head and covered the trail with kisses, taking time to work her tongue around his nipples, grazing them with her teeth.

"You make me feel so amazing" he whispered. Robin smiled and letting go of him, reached for his wallet on the bedside table. Retrieving the foil packet, she tore it open and kneeling up, pushed him on his back. Patrick locked his hands behind his head and watched her lustily as she kissed his body, working her way down. She left short staccato kisses along the underside of his length before sheathing him. "Fuck Robin" he hissed as she closed her lips around him. He held her hair back as she bobbed up and down, letting her tongue lavish him. Feeling a familiar stirring in his stomach, he pulled her up and grinned. "Don't want it to be over before we get going."

"Baby this is just a warm up" Holding the base of his cock, she lined him up at her slick entrance and slowly, agonizingly lowered herself on him. She squeezed him as she rode him, controlling the pace. Gripping her hips, he locked eyes with her as she continued to move up and down his length.

"I love you" he said, smiling.

"I know" she panted. "Lu-lucky me" She stilled for a moment, feeling his hips jerk against her, urging her forward. Instead she clenched her walls around him, smiling as his eyes went glassy. "Feel good baby?"

"Go-g-god yes" he said breathlessly.

Leaning over him, pushing him in deeper, she covered his chest in kisses as her hips rocked against his. "So yummy" she said as she licked his bare skin.

"Not going to last" he said quickly as the pulsing in his cock became more insistent.

Sitting up straight, Robin gazed lovingly at him as she rolled her nipples between her thumb and forefinger. "Come for me baby – I want to feel you let go" Milking him, she watched as he struggled to hang on before finally giving in to the overwhelming feelings. Her name tore from his lips as his came hard against her. At the first wave of his orgasm, Robin gave over to her climax, arching her body and crying out his name.

Spent, she collapsed on top of him, their bodies slick with sweat. Breathing raggedly, Patrick stroked her hair, while pressing his lips against the top of her head. "I think we may have found the cure for jetlag" he teased.

Lifting her head, Robin smiled lazily. "I'm ready to stay up all day if you are."

*******

Noah watched as Nathalie slept. After nearly an hour of vomiting, she had curled into a ball on the exam table, disoriented and incoherent. He had held her hand and stroked her hair reassuringly. The test results were rushed back to him and confirmed his initial suspicions – someone had slipped GHB in to Nathalie's drink and had Coleman not interceded she likely would have found herself in more trouble than she could have handled. There was no antidote, other than time, for the popular drug often used in date-rape cases. Once she had drained her i.v. replenishing her fluids, Noah had brought her back to his apartment and tucked her in to his bed and Rian into his playpen. Having spent too much time at the hospital as it was, he felt it would be better for her to wake up to a friendly face rather than a cold room.

In watching her he had come to realize just how much affection he had for her. She was a woman who loved his son, provided him safety and shelter for all those years when he couldn't but more than that, she had reached out to him on occasion imbuing him with some of the compassion that Patrick had spent years raving about. He also recognized much of his own pain and suffering in her and knew that it was nearly impossible to show yourself kindness but he could certainly do it for her.

Nathalie's eyes fluttered as she gripped her head. "Oooh" she moaned. Her head ached and pounded and it made her stomach churn. Her mouth was dry and she licked at her lips to moisten them. She didn't remember drinking and couldn't figure out why she felt so hung over. Trying to sit up, a wave a pain washed over her and she groaned as she fell back against the pillows.

"Nathalie?"

Painfully prying open her eyes, she looked around the room in confusion before settling on Noah's face. "No-Noah?" she croaked.

He smiled kindly. "Hi there."

A more detailed look around the room told her she was neither at her house nor at Wyndermere. "Wh-where am I?"

"You're at my apartment – you had a bit of a problem last night."

She looked at him warily while her stomach continued to churn. "I got drunk?"

He shook his head. "No. Look, why don't you sip on that water and I'll get you some meds for your headache."

"Am I okay?"

"You're going to be fine" he said getting up. "Slow sips of water."

Reaching for the glass, she brought it to her lips and took a small sip, the water soothing her raw throat. A chill ran down her spine as she struggled to figure out why her throat was so raw and what could have happened that landed her at Noah's apartment. Closing her eyes she tried to think about yesterday's events but couldn't remember anything beyond reading to Gracie. Sitting up suddenly, she cradled her head in her hands. Something must have happened to her daughter and she became hysterical. A small sob escaped her throat as she realized her daughter must have died.

Hearing her strangled cry, Noah came running back to the room. "Nat?"

Her green eyes brimmed with tears. "Gracie's dead isn't she? She died." Her chest started to heave. Noah crossed the room in two long strides and sitting down on the bed, pulled her into his arms.

"She's not dead" he said firmly while rubbing her back. "She's fine Nathalie, I saw her myself last night – she's not dead."

Pulling back slightly, she wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I – I can't remember anything Noah" she said with panic creeping in to her voice. "All I remember is reading to her and I …it's all a blank after that."

Taking her hand, he opened it and dropped two pills in it. "Get those in you and I'll tell you what happened." Like an obedient child, Nathalie swallowed the two pills and looked to Noah for reassurance. He held both of her hands, rubbing them with his thumbs. "You wound up at Jake's last night having drinks with some man you met in the oncology ward."

"What?" The confusion was clearly etched across her face.

"Coleman said that you had a couple of drinks and started to behave strangely. This guy was trying to escort you home but I guess Coleman's spidey sense was tingling and he on to you. Since everyone else is out of town, he called me…"

"Oh god, Noah – I am so…"

Noah shook his head. "Don't finish that thought. Coleman did the right thing – you were in all kinds of trouble."

"What? Why?"

Taking a deep breath, he gave her a reassuring smile. "Your drink or drinks were spiked with GHB – it causes euphoria and disinhibited behaviour. But it also causes your gag reflex to relax which is bad thing if you're vomiting…"

"Was I?"

"You were – most people have an adverse reaction to GHB and you were no different. Nathalie, people left alone after ingesting GHB often die by choking. It also causes memory loss which is why the drug is so popular with rapists."

Nathalie's face paled. "Oh my." Noah continued to rub her hands, letting the information sink in. "You mean, I could have been…he would have….I don't even remember what he looks like" she sighed heavily. "When you say disinhibited behaviour…" she licked at her lips, dreading the question but she needed the answer. "Did I do anything….was I inappropriate?"

"No" he said firmly. "You were confused and emotional but you were fine." For Noah there was no reason she ever needed to know that she propositioned him.

Nathalie noticed the way he was looking at her and shifted in the bed. "But I did do something – what was it?"

He gave her a wry smile. "You know, behaviour isn't the only thing that changes when inhibitions are removed – people speak more freely as well…"

She covered her face with hands, blushing at the possibility of the many embarrassing things she said. "God, how mortifying was I?"

Noah sat quietly lettin her keep her face covered. "Not mortifying Nathalie, but you did give me a glimpse as to how much pain you're in and I'm worried about you" he said softly.

She dropped her hands and straightened up. "I'm fine – really."

"I like your stoicism but it doesn't work on me" he said kindly. "You have always been very kind to me, even the few times we met when I was still drinking – I was humiliating and Patrick was embarrassed but you, you never judged me once and were just kind…"

She gave a small shrug. "We are not defined by our worst moments Noah…"

Smiling, he reached for her hand again. "Exactly. At some point Nathalie, you are going to need to let some of that pain go and I know first hand how hard that can be. I know why you won't do so with Patrick or even Nikolas but you…" he swallowed thickly. "you can do it here. If you need to be weak, then be weak here – I won't judge you."

Nathalie was overcome by his generosity and bit hard on the inside of her cheek to keep from crying. "Thanks" she whispered.

"There is one more thing we need to talk about"

She exhaled. "I can only imagine – did I take off all my clothes, get a tattoo or something?" she asked, grimacing.

"Did you know that you're pregnant?"